BOOK FOUR: THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE LAST GATE
Chapter 4: The Daughter of the Gate
The room went completely silent.
Riva could hear only her own heartbeat.
Aeron's words echoed inside her mind.
You are the daughter of the Last Gate.
She stared at him through the darkness.
"No."
Aeron didn't move.
"You are."
"My mother was Queen Lyra."
"She raised you."
"But she didn't give you life."
Riva looked toward the Queen.
"Tell me he's lying."
The Queen couldn't answer.
That silence was enough.
---
Riva's eyes filled with tears.
"You knew."
The Queen lowered her head.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Since the day you were born."
Riva stepped backward.
"Then everything I remember..."
"Was real."
"Yes."
"But it wasn't the whole truth."
---
Caelan stepped beside Riva.
"You don't have to listen to them."
Aeron looked at him.
"You still protect her."
Caelan's expression hardened.
"Someone has to."
Aeron smiled.
"You have no idea what she is capable of."
Riva turned toward him.
"Then tell me."
---
Aeron raised his hand.
The darkness disappeared.
The room transformed.
Suddenly...
They were standing somewhere else.
A vast white space.
No walls.
No floor.
No sky.
Only light.
A baby was floating in the center.
A tiny girl.
Riva.
The Queen stood nearby.
The First Guardian was there.
And beside them...
A massive black Gate.
---
Riva stared at the vision.
"This is..."
"Your birth," Aeron said.
The Queen's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't give birth to you."
"I found you."
Riva looked at her.
"Where?"
The Queen pointed toward the Gate.
"Inside it."
---
The vision continued.
The Gate opened.
A golden light emerged.
Inside the light...
Was a newborn child.
Riva.
The First Guardian reached toward her.
But before he could touch her...
A voice came from the Gate.
"She is mine."
The Guardian froze.
The Queen stepped forward.
"Who said that?"
The Gate answered.
"I did."
---
Riva stared at the vision.
"You're saying..."
"The Gate created me?"
Aeron nodded.
"You were born from its power."
"Why?"
"Because the Gate needed a living Key."
---
Eva stepped forward.
"A living Key..."
She looked at Riva.
"That's why every Gate reacts to her."
The First Guardian nodded.
"That's why the Seven Flames respond to her."
"The Gates recognize their origin."
---
Riva looked at her hands.
"So I'm not human?"
The Queen immediately stepped forward.
"You are."
Riva looked at her.
"Am I?"
The Queen held her face.
"You may have been born from magic."
"But I raised you."
"I loved you."
"That makes you my daughter."
Riva's tears finally fell.
---
Aeron watched them.
"You don't understand."
The Queen turned toward him.
"I understand enough."
Aeron shook his head.
"She was created for a purpose."
"What purpose?"
"To open the Last Gate completely."
Everyone froze.
---
The First Guardian whispered:
"If she opens it..."
Aeron nodded.
"The kingdom beyond it will return."
Riva frowned.
"What kingdom?"
Aeron looked at the black Gate.
"The kingdom where nothing ever ends."
---
He stepped closer.
"Imagine it."
"No death."
"No separation."
"No forgotten memories."
"No lost kingdoms."
"Everyone you ever loved..."
"alive."
Riva stared at him.
"That's impossible."
Aeron smiled.
"Not beyond the Last Gate."
---
The Queen stepped between them.
"It's a lie."
Aeron's expression darkened.
"You've always been afraid of the truth."
"No."
"I'm afraid of what it will cost."
Aeron looked toward Riva.
"Your mother chose to sacrifice the kingdom rather than let me open the Gate."
Riva looked at her mother.
"Is that true?"
The Queen nodded.
"I destroyed the key."
"But you survived."
"Because the Gate rebuilt itself through you."
---
Riva's heart began pounding.
"So I'm the key."
"Yes."
"And if I open the Gate..."
"The old kingdom returns."
"Yes."
"What happens to everyone here?"
Aeron looked at her.
"They become part of it."
---
Lucien immediately stepped forward.
"You mean they'll die."
Aeron didn't answer.
Lucien drew his sword.
"Then you're not opening it."
Aeron smiled.
"You cannot stop me."
---
Suddenly...
The palace shook violently.
The black Gate appeared inside the room.
Its surface began cracking.
The silver key in Riva's hand flew toward it.
She grabbed it.
The Gate pulled harder.
Caelan grabbed Riva's arm.
"Hold on!"
Aren grabbed Caelan.
The others joined them.
The Gate began opening.
Behind it...
A world appeared.
A beautiful world.
Golden cities.
Endless gardens.
Millions of people.
And at the center...
A throne.
Empty.
Waiting.
---
Riva stared at it.
Something inside her whispered:
Come home.
She took one step forward.
Caelan pulled her back.
"Riva!"
She looked at him.
"I heard something."
"What?"
"My name."
The voice came again.
Riva.
Come home.
Aeron smiled.
"You finally hear it."
---
The Queen screamed:
"Don't listen!"
Riva covered her ears.
But the voice became louder.
You were created for this.
You belong here.
Open the Gate.
Riva's eyes began glowing silver.
The Seven Flames appeared around her.
Hope.
Memory.
Courage.
Wisdom.
Compassion.
Sacrifice.
Beginning.
All seven bowed toward her.
The First Guardian stared in horror.
"The Flames aren't protecting her."
"They're recognizing their creator."
---
Riva looked toward the Gate.
Then toward her friends.
Then toward her mother.
Then...
Toward Caelan.
He didn't tell her what to do.
He simply held out his hand.
"Whatever you are..."
"I know who you are to me."
Riva stared at him.
"You don't need to choose the Gate."
"You can choose us."
Her silver eyes slowly returned to normal.
Riva reached for his hand.
The Gate screamed.
The entire kingdom shook.
Aeron shouted:
"No!"
Riva pulled the silver key away.
The Gate began closing.
But before it completely disappeared...
A hand reached through.
A human hand.
Someone on the other side grabbed Riva's wrist.
She screamed.
Caelan grabbed her.
"Let go!"
The hand tightened.
A voice whispered:
"You cannot leave your kingdom twice."
Riva looked through the closing Gate.
And saw a woman standing on the other side.
A woman with Riva's face.
But older.
Much older.
She smiled.
"I'm you."
The Gate slammed shut.
Riva collapsed.
Everyone stared at her.
And somewhere beyond the Last Gate...
Riva's older self opened her eyes.
End of Chapter 4